Europa League: Napoli vs Leicester City! Poor set-piece defense may lead to the Foxes' elimination?

Today's first topic is the Europa League: Napoli vs Leicester City!

There are three points that might make things a bit tricky:

First, their previous match ended in a 2-2 draw with no obvious superiority from either side.

Second, both teams have been in equally poor form recently, each managing only three satisfactory performances in their last ten games.

Third, both squads suffer from numerous injuries; Napoli is missing 7 players, and Leicester City 6, with many of them being regular starters.

So, how can we determine who has the edge today? Let's break it down step by step.

First, do you remember why Leicester fans had higher hopes before their last meeting?

Because at that time, Napoli was also riddled with injuries — the list included notable names like Mertens, Lobotka, and Demme, all sidelined.

And what about Leicester? Only Justin, Mendy, and Fofana were out — two long-term absentees and one substitute, which had a much smaller impact.

Yet, despite having a more complete squad and playing at home, did Leicester manage to secure the three points? No, they didn’t.

If they couldn't win then, with fewer injuries and home advantage, how likely is it now with more injuries and playing away? The odds are even tougher.

Leicester currently faces a serious problem with defending set pieces.

They have conceded 10 goals from set pieces, tied with Crystal Palace for the most in the Premier League.

In their last match against Aston Villa, both goals they conceded were from set pieces, which frustrated Rodgers greatly. He called set-piece defense their Achilles’ heel and vowed to improve it significantly.

However, improving set-piece defense is an ongoing process that requires extensive analysis of each opponent’s tactics. It’s not something fixed in a month or two; Borussia Dortmund spent three years and changed three coaches without resolving it.

Napoli, on the other hand, excels in set-piece attacks and currently leads Serie A jointly in goals scored from set pieces.

One man’s honey is another’s poison — Napoli’s sharp weapon precisely targets Leicester’s weakness. Tonight, Leicester is likely to suffer again from poor set-piece defense.

Additionally, Leicester’s attitude toward the Europa League has always been somewhat ambiguous. This season, Vardy has never started in the competition, and Madison and Barnes have often been rested. Otherwise, how could they still face elimination risk in the final round?

This match, which should be extremely tricky, sees the coach adopting a 1-3-3 formation with a tight defense on the home win, showing a clear intention.

Napoli still needs three points to guarantee qualification, so victory is the only option today. I’m more hopeful that Napoli will claim the three points!

Alright, for other matches today, I will send out written analysis this afternoon. Feel free to ask me if anything is unclear.

Just a little click to follow and like would be appreciated!